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Athens Baha'i's get a new representative

The Athens-Clarke County Baha’is have a new delegate to represent Northeast Georgia in the national Baha’i convention next year.

In April, Dr. Riaz Rassekh of Martinez will help elect members of the U.S. Baha’i governing council after many of the 252 Baha’is around Northeast Georgia elected him to represent them.

The Baha’i religion, which was born long after modern democracy, may be the most democratic religion in the world. Rassekh won election without a campaign, debate or nomination.

Everyone has a vote, said Athens Baha’i spokeswoman Linda Duper. And everyone is a candidate.

“It’s all between the individuals and God,” she said. “If you’re a Baha’i in good standing and 21 or older, you can be a delegate. And you can vote for anyone who matches that criteria.”

The Baha’i religion was formed a little more than 150 years ago. Its members believe in a monotheistic God who has revealed himself to humanity through a series of divine messengers. Messengers have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. Their religions come from the same source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God.

Bahá’u’lláh is the latest in the line of messengers and brought new spiritual and social teachings for our time. He taught the oneness of God, the oneness of the human family, and the oneness of religion, Baha’is believe.

“Above all things we value unity,” Duper said. “We have diverse ways of thinking, but we still have that unity.”

A California native, Duper was exposed to the Baha’i faith through her parents. But she left the faith as she grew up, which actually is encouraged in the religion. After a few years, she came back.

“We’re encouraged to explore and investigate our conviction,” she said. “We want to make sure our allegiance to the faith is not blind inheritance.”

While many Baha’is live in India or parts of the Middle East, there are more than 170,000 members in the U.S., which are run by 171 delegates across the country.

Now, Rassekh is one of them.

“We hold all of our elections like this, and the system has worked really well,” Duper said. “It’s very peaceful, spiritual and just.”